Survived the Holidays

Hey there. Bet you thought I'd given up on this.
Nope, it's just been a little crazy with the holidays and all.

So, let's see, since my last 'real' post (I'm not counting the Christmas one), MC has turned 13 (oooh, yeah, another teenager in the house -- I am so not old enough to be the mother of teens); we've gone to see "The Waterhorse" (cute, nice family film, but nothing exciting) and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" (some fun, but not as good as the first one); we survived 5 days in a row together without any major bodily harm; my exercise program got shunted to the side; managed to get all the shopping done before Christmas Eve; OC's best friend moved far, far away; DH and I went out for New Year's Eve (too a horribly loud bar); I woke up Jan. 2 with a nasty cold (which I am still not completely over); MC and YC have each lost a tooth; DH got a tattoo (his first, and probably last); my newest niece was born (today); my in-laws didn't come to visit -- again (they always say they're coming but never do -- mixed blessing); and that's pretty much it.

Nothing much, really. And now the holidays are over, not another official one till Memorial Day. DH and I are back to work and the kids are back to school. OC is getting braces this month -- that should be fun -- not. She's already made all sorts of demands on how they should work and how long she'll have them on, etc.

Today is the official restart of my exercise 'program'. To assist in my pursuit of a healthier and hopefully thinner me, I purchased a few things -- a scale that not only shows weight but also body fat%, muscle mass%, BMR, and total body water%; a pedometer; and a heart rate monitor (DH also got one for Christmas). I'm hopeful that as I see changes beyond just my weight, I'll be additionally inspired to keep going. I'm also trying to get my eating back on track -- I have a really hard time eating healthier when I'm home and with the family. Did ok today -- organic oatmeal for breakfast, a Kashi entree for lunch, a gyro for dinner, and two cookies with some Nutella for dessert -- no soda, no chips, no candy. Obviously, I fell way short on fruits and veggies, but there's always tomorrow. Trying to change it all at the same time is a recipe for failure. Too many ways to screw it up.

Still haven't made it to "P.S. I Love You." Hoped to this weekend but the cold waylaid that plan.

Since DH got a tattoo, he now tells me I can get one if I want to. I have thought about it over the years, but a) I don't know if I could find one I really, really like, and b) I don't know where on my body I'd like to have one. So not getting one any time soon, but maybe some day. I can at least do some research...

New Year's Eve -- DH took me to a bar he likes to go to, but we don't usually go together. Now I know why. Good grief, but the music was LOUD!!!!!. It was making me physically ill, and we were across the bar from the speakers -- don't know how people could stand to be dancing right in front of them. Also the crowd is heavy on the college aged -- local college is only a couple of blocks away. On the plus side, they had good food and good drinks (love their Mayan Chocolate Martini -- has a nice spicy kick). Don't think we're going there again. They do have a sister bar in the neighboring town and the music wasn't so loud (or the crowd so young) at that one. So, we'll see.

So, are you wondering about the picure at the top of this post? Going to tell about it anyway...
That is MC, Christmas morning, after allowing YC to play "hair salon" with his hair. He has 12 little pony tails, plus a few clips in his hair. He actually invited her to play with him. Sometimes he surprises us -- so often he is nasty and mean to YC, then he does something like this where he's actually a pretty wonderful big brother. Sigh.